Woman sues over miscarriage while in jail

May 07, 2009

A woman who claims she miscarried her baby while in custody on burglary charges sued Cook County authorities today alleging negligent care.

Shanika Terry, 19, of Palatine, was an inmate of Cook County Jail while 28 weeks pregnant in July 2008, according to the lawsuit filed in Cook County Circuit Court. Terry was being held on felony charges of burglary, to which she later pleaded guilty, court records show.

On the 12th day of her incarceration, Terry began having abdominal pain, cramping and bleeding, and asked for help from guards and nurses. However, Terry was not transported to a hospital until hours after symptoms began to appear, the suit claims.

Upon arrival at the hospital, medical personnel failed to detect a fetal heartbeat and the child was stillborn, the suit said. Terry also suffered injury to her kidneys during the incident, the suit claims.

The lawsuit also claims that Cook County Jail failed to keep adequate medical records on Terry during her incarceration.

A spokesman for the Cook County Sheriff's Department, which operates the jail, said that Terry was held at Cermak Hospital while in custody. He declined comment on the lawsuit.